Cashing in foreign currency when you return aboard to add to your on board account?

[Smokeyham]

Does anyone know if you can hand in your unused foreign currency at the customer services desk and have the amount credited to your on board account.  I realize that if this is possible then the exchange rate will likely be poor, but if you won't be using the currency then this would seem like a good alternative.

[Mike45LC]

I never tried this but I do not believe it is allowed.  

35 years ago, I think it was Princess that had a charity drop box for foreign currency to be donated to local charities to save passengers the hassle of converting currencies.

[SiliconCruiser]

At a horrible exchange rate.  Usually you can also do this at the dock ... also at a miserable exchange rate.  We usually just bring it home, because we know we'll use it again at some point, and we use credit cards whenever possible.  A lot of European countries are on a path towards a cashless economy, with a preference towards plastic.  When we were in Denmark and Sweden, there were many businesses that clearly noted that they were cashless (even a 7-11.) 

My most shameful example was when we were in Tallinn, Estonia when I handed a pharmacy clerk two €20 notes for a purchase.  Poor lady had to scramble to every cash register to find enough for the change.

 

However in Asia (also Asian businesses in the U.S) currency is the preferred method of payment.  I've even seen Asian businesses in the U.S. charging outrageous surcharges for credit cards.  Yes, I know that surcharges for credit cards are not legal, but they feel that they do not have to obey U.S. laws.

 

[juniper berries]

Hi I did this on a cruise precovid I had the amount of the foreign currency  currency that i cashed credited  to my on board account I kew we would never use it again and it helped to lower our bill at the end of the cruise. Not sure how bad the the exchange was as it was converted to Australian dollars and I had bought with Canadian  dollars.

[LACruiser88]

1 hour ago, Smokeyham said:

Does anyone know if you can hand in your unused foreign currency at the customer services desk and have the amount credited to your on board account.  I realize that if this is possible then the exchange rate will likely be poor, but if you won't be using the currency then this would seem like a good alternative.

If you are talking euros, if I'm on your cruise I would buy them from you at a better rate than the ship.  We go to Europe almost every year, so we would use them.

 

Check with the roll call for your cruise.  You might find a fellow cruiser that would buy them from you.

[Smokeyham]

9 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

If you are talking euros, if I'm on your cruise I would buy them from you at a better rate than the ship.  We go to Europe almost every year, so we would use them.

 

Check with the roll call for your cruise.  You might find a fellow cruiser that would buy them from you.

Thanks for the offer.... This was more of a general question and especially if the cruise is stopping in a variety of countries.

 

[Smokeyham]

38 minutes ago, juniper berries said:

Hi I did this on a cruise precovid I had the amount of the foreign currency  currency that i cashed credited  to my on board account I kew we would never use it again and it helped to lower our bill at the end of the cruise. Not sure how bad the the exchange was as it was converted to Australian dollars and I had bought with Canadian  dollars.

Thanks!  I am happy to hear this.  The amounts involved won't be much and, as you say, I would not likely be revisiting the countries so keeping the funds would not be practical.

[cr8tiv1]

If...the ship is continuing the same itinerary, you could always leave it as an additional tip with your steward/waiters, etc.  They would appreciate having some local currency.  

[Papa Yoda]

1 minute ago, cr8tiv1 said:

If...the ship is continuing the same itinerary, you could always leave it as an additional tip with your steward/waiters, etc.  They would appreciate having some local currency.  

 

 

Good idea!  I usually keep some foreign money as a cheap souvenir

[Mike45LC]

2 hours ago, SiliconCruiser said:

Yes, I know that surcharges for credit cards are not legal, but they feel that they do not have to obey U.S. laws.

 

Although ten states ban such surcharges, I believe that 40 states do not.  If I was charged a credit card surcharge in CA (which bans them), I would rejoice because of the class action lawsuit I would threaten (and file).

[caribill]

Princess ships will convert foreign currency to the currency of the cruise, usually US $ in most parts of the world.

 

They can do this at the Customer Service desk and, on some ships, a currency exchange machine.

 

They only take bills, no coins.

 

Exchange rate, as other point out, will be poor. Expect to lose 7%-10% of the currency value in the transaction. If using a currency exchange machine, it will add a "convenience fee" in addition to having a poor exchange rate.

 

Once you do have the money exchanged, you can have the cash applied to your onboard account.

[david63]

On a similar note - can you do the reverse and get foreign currency from Customer Service?

[wowzz]

57 minutes ago, david63 said:

On a similar note - can you do the reverse and get foreign currency from Customer Service?

Yes, but at a criminal exchange rate !

[cavecreekguy]

I still have 80 Euros left from 100 I took out of an ATM in 2016. I wish I had exchanged them at the front desk before that cruise ended. I have a feeling the currency has lost more value sitting in my desk drawer than I would have lost with the "horrible" exchange rate.

Edited October 1, 2022 by cavecreekguy

[skynight]

Best advice, I believe, is to use credit cards that do not charge a foreign exchange fee. Carry as little cash as possible. For pre-cruise stays we generally go to a bank's ATM and just get enough local cash that may be required. I remember in Copenhagen the canal tour and train would accept payment in US$ at a not so good, but not so bad exchange. In the past we did deposit some currency, either Euros or GBP don't exactly remember, into our on board account at a bad exchange rate. Bills only, no coins. Don't believe the ship will accept any currency, example Argentina Pesos. We used all of our pesos up by overtipping our tour guide and purchasing some soda to bring on board.  

[Coral]

8 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

If...the ship is continuing the same itinerary, you could always leave it as an additional tip with your steward/waiters, etc.  They would appreciate having some local currency.  

This is what I was thinking also! This is what I did on my river cruise, especially the coins (but I left some currency paper also).

[Coral]

1 hour ago, david63 said:

On a similar note - can you do the reverse and get foreign currency from Customer Service?

Previously no. At one point - they had machines and they were awful on exchange rate.

[cr8tiv1]

There are several credit cards that do not charge a transaction fee.  Their conversion rates are usually better than an exchange machine since they are large organization.  I also have a debit card that allows me several ATM fee reimbursements.

 

Currently, US dollar is very strong.  
 

Canada is about $1.38/US $

Japan is about $144.74/US $

Euro is $1.02/US $

[SiliconCruiser]

I forgot.

I have an ATM card from my credit union that does not charge an exchange fee, and in most cases do not charge a transaction fee.  If I'm in one of the Asian countries, I just go to an ATM and draw out whatever currency I might need.  But even in Asia, there are many businesses that will accept credit cards.

[SiliconCruiser]

13 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

Although ten states ban such surcharges, I believe that 40 states do not.  If I was charged a credit card surcharge in CA (which bans them), I would rejoice because of the class action lawsuit I would threaten (and file).

They're mom&pop businesses that don't even speak English for the most part.  By the time you are able to get your class organized, they'll have shuttered the business and opened up under a different fictitious name and maybe have different names as registered owners.

 

[EllieinNJ]

Back in 2019 we tried to pay a taxi in Southampton with a 20 euro note that my daughter gave me from her trip the year before.  The cab driver refused to take it saying it was obsolete.  Thankfully we were sharing the taxi and they paid and we gave the other couple dollars for our part of the fare.  We were finally able to cash that 20 from a bank in Guernsey, our first stop.

[skynight]

13 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

Back in 2019 we tried to pay a taxi in Southampton with a 20 euro note that my daughter gave me from her trip the year before.  The cab driver refused to take it saying it was obsolete.  Thankfully we were sharing the taxi and they paid and we gave the other couple dollars for our part of the fare.  We were finally able to cash that 20 from a bank in Guernsey, our first stop.

England's currency is British Pounds, not Euros. It would be rare that a British taxi driver would accept foreign currency as payment. Most taxi drivers do accept credit cards. Would a taxi driver in NJ accept Euros, Can$? Don't think so. Yes, many banks will buy and sell foreign exchange as you found in Guernsey. You can also exchange at international airports when you arrive. Some hotels also will accept foreign currency as part of the payment. 

[wowzz]

14 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

Back in 2019 we tried to pay a taxi in Southampton with a 20 euro note that my daughter gave me from her trip the year before

Why on earth would you try and pay a taxi driver with foreign currency? 

Edited October 2, 2022 by wowzz

[JF - retired RRT]

On 9/30/2022 at 10:57 PM, Mike45LC said:

Although ten states ban such surcharges, I believe that 40 states do not.  If I was charged a credit card surcharge in CA (which bans them), I would rejoice because of the class action lawsuit I would threaten (and file).

Hmmm. I just checked with Mr. Google and he says if the merchant displays a sign noting that a surcharge is assessed...it's legal. There is a certain class of merchants that it's not, but I didn't care enough to figure out what that class entails.

[Guest ldtr]

On 9/30/2022 at 5:21 PM, SiliconCruiser said:

At a horrible exchange rate.  Usually you can also do this at the dock ... also at a miserable exchange rate.  We usually just bring it home, because we know we'll use it again at some point, and we use credit cards whenever possible.  A lot of European countries are on a path towards a cashless economy, with a preference towards plastic.  When we were in Denmark and Sweden, there were many businesses that clearly noted that they were cashless (even a 7-11.) 

My most shameful example was when we were in Tallinn, Estonia when I handed a pharmacy clerk two €20 notes for a purchase.  Poor lady had to scramble to every cash register to find enough for the change.

 

However in Asia (also Asian businesses in the U.S) currency is the preferred method of payment.  I've even seen Asian businesses in the U.S. charging outrageous surcharges for credit cards.  Yes, I know that surcharges for credit cards are not legal, but they feel that they do not have to obey U.S. laws.

 

Actually most states allow surcharges on credit card transactions. I believe only 3 states have a law forbidding the practice Colorado, Mass. and Conn as of March 2021.